New Friends And Heroes
by Marymel
Summary: Greg and Jackson join Nick at the park, where they meet someone very special from Nick's past.


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

**Celebrating my birthday with a gift for you...a new Jackson story :)**

**Once again, I thought of a story with Jackson and his Uncle Nicky. I loved how Nick persevered and came through for the baby girl he helped deliver in the season 11 episode, "Unleashed." I wondered, since Nick loves spending time with his godson and buddy Jackson (I think he'd make a great dad, too!), I wondered what might happen if he met baby Maria and her father once again. And...here's what I came up with. Please read and review!**

It was the perfect day for spending time at the park, which is why Nick called Greg and asked if he and Jackson wanted to join him and his dog Sam at the park. Greg and Jackson happily agreed, and the three of them were enjoying playing frisbee with Sam.

Jackson laughed when Sam jumped up to catch the frisbee. "Daddy, did you see dat?" Jackson asked as Sam jumped up and caught the frisbee in his mouth.

"I did," Greg said with a soft laugh. "He can jump real high, can't he?"

Jackson nodded. "Uncle Nicky, can I throw da frisbee?"

Nick smiled at the little boy he adored. "Sure. Think you can throw it high enough?"

"Yep!" Jackson walked over and Nick crouched down to help him throw.

"Ready?" Jackson smiled and gave the toy his best throw. "Get it, Sam!"

Sam happily caught it and brought it back to his friends. When Jackson threw it again, Sam chased after it, almost running into a young man sitting on a blanket.

"Uh-oh!" Jackson called. "Sorry, Uncle Nicky."

"It's okay," Nick said as he stood to get the frisbee from Sam. He walked over to the blanket to apologize and stopped when he saw the young man and toddler girl sitting on the blanket.

The young man stood up, looked at Nick and smiled. "Mr. Stokes?"

Nick nodded. "Nathan?"

Nathan Culver, whom Nick met when he delivered his baby daughter after the mother's suicide, smiled at the CSI. "Yeah, how's it going?"

"Going pretty good. Sorry about Sam plowing into you."

"Oh, it's fine." Nathan smiled and looked at the happy blonde girl playing with her doll. "Maria, come here, sweetie."

Maria stood up and toddled over to her father. She smiled at the CSI, and Nick's heart soared.

"Hi, sweetie," Nick whispered.

Maria shyly hid behind her father's legs, smiling up at the man who helped bring her into the world.

Jackson and Greg watched the interaction between the men. Jackson walked over and smiled at Maria. "Hi! I Jackson."

Nick, Greg and Nathan all smiled at the sweet little boy. "Is this your son?" Nathan asked Nick.

"No, he's my godson," Nick said as he held on to Sam's collar. "Jackson, I'd like you to meet Maria."

Jackson smiled at the little girl, who smiled when she saw the little boy and the dog.

"Jackson, this is Maria and her daddy, Nathan." Nick smiled at the two children who seemed to like each other. Looking at Nathan, Nick said, "This is a good friend of mine, Greg Sanders."

Greg and Nathan shook hands. "Nick told me he helped delivered a baby," Greg said. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you," Nathan said with a small smile. "Yeah, she's almost two now."

Maria toddled over to Jackson. Sam sat and watched his friends meet the little girl. "Maria, dis is Sam," Jackson said. "He a good doggie."

The little girl hesitantly walked over to the dog, who sat and watched them patiently. Nick walked over and crouched next to the dog. "It's okay," he whispered to Maria. "You can pet him."

Nathan knelt down and petted Sam's head. Seeing her father pet the dog made Maria a little less scared, and she petted Sam's soft fur. Maria looked up at Nathan and giggled.

"Yeah," Greg said as he stood behind Jackson. "He's a good dog."

Maria stopped petting Sam and smiled. "Doggie," she said to her father.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "He's a good doggie."

"Doggie pay?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, we played with the doggie," Nick said. He beamed at the little girl.

Greg stayed crouched down with the kids while Nick and Nathan stood up. "She looks wonderful," Nick told the young father.

"Thank you." Nathan smiled at his daughter with her new friend. "I can't thank you enough for everything."

Nick smiled warmly at the little girl laughing with her new friends. "She was worth it."

Nathan smiled. "Yeah, she's amazing."

Greg smiled up at his best friend with the young father. "She really is beautiful. I know they don't stay little for long."

"No, that's for sure," Nathan said with a small laugh. "I don't get much sleep between school, work and her, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

"You in college?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, at UNLV. I got a football scholarship, and I'm thinking about majoring in forensic science."

Nick smiled at the young man. "Well, I would be proud to work alongside you."

"So would I," Greg said.

Nathan nodded and smiled at both men. "Thank you. Yeah, I still live at home. Sometimes I wonder if it's too much for my mom and dad."

Greg smiled thoughtfully. "But it's worth it." He looked at his son with the little girl, chatting and laughing. "I only found out about this little guy less than a year ago. His mom thought about getting rid of him..." Greg looked at the little boy who had become his life.

Nick looked at his best friend, surprised. "You never told me about that."

Greg looked up at Nick. "Yeah, she told me she thought about it, but she couldn't do it." Looking at his beautiful son, Greg happily smiled. "I'm glad she didn't...this little guy is my whole life."

Nathan smiled thoughtfully at his daughter and her new friend. "Sounds like you're a good dad."

Smiling at Nathan, Greg said, "Thank you. You know...Nick's told me a little about what happened..." Greg smiled at Maria chatting happily with Jackson.

With a sigh, Nathan said, "Yeah." Looking at Nick, he added, "You and your friend saved my daughter...and I never knew I could love anyone so much..."

Nick nodded and smiled thoughtfully. "You're welcome." After a couple of moments, Nick asked, "Have you heard anymore about..."

"Yeah," Nathan said, knowing what Nick was thinking about. "Our family lawyer said that four of the cheerleaders testified against Cathy. She's been sentenced to ten years for a hate crime."

Nick nodded and looked at the happy little girl he helped deliver.

"I'm sorry," Greg said.

Nathan shook his head. "I wish Maria could have known her mother. She looks so much like her."

"Has Maria's grandmother ever seen her?" Nick asked, remembering how the grief-stricken woman couldn't believe her daughter had a baby and refused to see baby Maria.

Nathan shook his head. "No. I tried to send her letters, pictures...but she's never seen her granddaughter."

Greg looked at Jackson with Maria and sighed quietly, thinking of how Jackson's paternal grandfather had wanted nothing to do with him. "Nathan? Respectfully, I think it's her loss. Maria's a beautiful little girl."

"Thank you, sir," Nathan said with a smile.

"Oh...it's Greg, please."

"Nathan." The young father shook Greg's hand.

Maria smiled up at Nathan and babbled some baby talk. "Dada pay?"

"You want to play with your new friend?" Nathan asked his daughter, who happily smiled.

"Daddy, can Maria play wif me?" Jackson asked.

Nick couldn't help but smile at his godson becoming friends with the little girl he helped deliver. Seeing the two chatting happily and running off to play, Nick felt his heart soar with love and pride.

"You want to go swing on the swings?" Nathan asked as he gestured to the swings in the park.

Maria clapped and giggled, and Jackson smiled widely. "Can we?" he asked Greg.

"If Maria's daddy says it's okay," Greg told his son.

"Sure," Nathan said.

Nick laughed softly. "I think Jackson and Maria are pretty good friends."

"Yeah," Greg agreed.

Nathan took his daughter's hand as Greg stood and took Jackson's. Nick held Sam's leash as the group walked over to the swings. As he watched Jackson and Maria climb into the swings and laugh and play, Nick couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Greg saw that Nick was smiling at the two children having a wonderful time. He walked over to his best friend. "You know, you're her hero."

Nick smiled, his eyes getting teary. "Nah. I just did the right thing."

Maria and Jackson laughed as they swung higher and higher. Nathan and Greg loved watching their kids playing together.

Greg looked at Nick, who was watching the girl he helped bring into the world laughing and playing with his godson. Nick's smile spoke volumes about how much love he felt for those two children who were happily unaware of what happened in the past.

"You did the right thing," Greg said softly. "And you are a hero. To her and Jackson, you are."

Nick chuckled softly. "For them...I don't mind."

**The End.**


End file.
